Method and structure for mandrel and spacer patterning

ABSTRACT

A method includes receiving an integrated circuit design layout that includes first and second layout blocks separated by a first space. The first and second layout blocks include, respectively, first and second line patterns oriented lengthwise in a first direction. The method further includes adding a dummy pattern to the first space, which connects the first and second line patterns. The method further includes outputting a mandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout in a computer-readable format. The mandrel pattern layout includes the first and second line patterns and the dummy pattern. The cut pattern layout includes a pattern corresponding to the first space. In embodiments, the method further includes manufacturing a first mask with the mandrel pattern layout and manufacturing a second mask with the cut pattern layout. In embodiments, the method further includes patterning a substrate with the first mask and the second mask.

BACKGROUND

As integrated circuit (IC) technologies are continually progressing tosmaller technology nodes, such as a 32 nm technology node and below,simply scaling down similar designs used at larger nodes often resultsin inaccurate or poorly shaped device features due to the resolutionlimit of conventional optical lithography technology. Examples ofinaccurate or poorly shaped device features include rounding, pinching,necking, bridging, dishing, erosion, metal line thickness variations,and other characteristics that affect device performance. One approachto improving image printing quality on a wafer is to use restrictivedesign rules (RDR) in IC layout designs. An exemplary IC layoutaccording to RDR includes parallel line patterns extending in the samedirection and spaced by a pattern pitch. The line width and patternpitch are designed so as to improve image printing quality by utilizingconstructive light interference.

However, in a large scale IC, not all patterns are designed according tothe same design rules. For example, an IC may include both logiccircuits and embedded static random-access memory (SRAM) cells. The SRAMcells may use smaller pitches for area reduction, while the logiccircuits may use larger pitches. For another example, an IC may includemultiple off-the-shelf macros, each of which has been laid out accordingto its own set of RDRs. In such ICs, multiple layout blocks may be used.Each layout block is designed according to a set of RDRs and differentlayout blocks may use different RDRs. A space is provided between anytwo layout blocks to accommodate printing inaccuracy such as line endrounding, as well as to meet certain spacing requirements for ICmanufacturing. This space becomes a concern when greater deviceintegration is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when they are read with the accompanying figures.It is noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in theindustry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, thedimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased orreduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an embodiment of an integratedcircuit (IC) manufacturing system and an associated IC manufacturingflow.

FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram of the mask house shown in FIG.1 according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a high-level flowchart of a method of manufacturing an ICaccording to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an IC having two layout blocks in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, and 6E illustrate an IC design layout modifiedaccording to the method shown in FIG. 3, in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method of patterning a substrateaccording to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8, 9A, 9B, 9C, 10A, 10B, 10C, 11A, 11B, 11C, 12A, 12B, 12C, 13A,13B, 13C, 14A, 14B, and 14C illustrate top view and/or cross-sectionalviews of an IC in various manufacturing steps of the method in FIG. 7,in accordance with some embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the provided subjectmatter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are describedbelow to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formationof a first feature over or on a second feature in the description thatfollows may include embodiments in which the first and second featuresare formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in whichadditional features may be formed between the first and second features,such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an embodiment of an ICmanufacturing system 100 and an IC manufacturing flow associatedtherewith, which may benefit from various aspects of the providedsubject matter. The IC manufacturing system 100 includes a plurality ofentities, such as a design house 120, a mask house 140, and an ICmanufacturer 160 (i.e., a fab), that interact with one another in thedesign, development, and manufacturing cycles and/or services related tomanufacturing an IC device 162. The plurality of entities are connectedby a communications network, which may be a single network or a varietyof different networks, such as an intranet and the Internet, and mayinclude wired and/or wireless communication channels. Each entity mayinteract with other entities and may provide services to and/or receiveservices from the other entities. One or more of the design house 120,mask house 140, and IC manufacturer 160 may be owned by a single largercompany, and may even coexist in a common facility and use commonresources.

The design house (or design team) 120 generates an IC design layout 102.The IC design layout 102 includes various geometrical patterns designedfor the IC device 162. An exemplary IC design layout 102 is shown inFIG. 4, which includes two layout blocks 104 and 106 separated by aspace 108. The two layout blocks 104 and 106 each include a plurality ofpatterns 110 and 112 respectively, designed according to some RDRs.Particularly, the patterns 110 and 112 are line patterns orientedlengthwise along the X direction. The line patterns 110 each have a linewidth W1 and are spaced by an edge-to-edge pitch P₁ along the Ydirection that is orthogonal to the X direction. The line patterns 112each have a line width W₂ and are spaced by an edge-to-edge pitch P₂along the Y direction. The various geometrical patterns in the IC designlayout 102, such as the line patterns 110 and 112, may correspond topatterns of metal, oxide, or semiconductor layers that make up variouscomponents of the IC device 162 to be fabricated. The various componentsmay include active regions, gate electrodes, metal lines or vias of aninterlayer interconnection, and openings for bonding pads, which are tobe formed in a semiconductor substrate (such as a silicon wafer) andvarious material layers disposed on the semiconductor substrate. In anembodiment, the line patterns 110 and 112 are mandrel patterns used in amandrel-spacer double patterning process for improving pattern density,which will be described in more details later. The design house 120implements a proper design procedure to form the IC design layout 102.The design procedure may include logic design, physical design, and/orplace and route. The IC design layout 102 is presented in one or moredata files having information of the geometrical patterns. For example,the IC design layout 102 can be expressed in a GDSII file format, a DFIIfile format, or another suitable computer-readable data format.

The mask house 140 uses the IC design layout 102 to manufacture one ormore masks to be used for fabricating various layers of the IC device162. The mask house 140 performs mask data preparation 132, maskfabrication 144, and other suitable tasks. The mask data preparation 132translates the IC design layout 102 into a form that can be physicallywritten by a mask writer. The mask fabrication 144 then fabricates aplurality of masks that are used for patterning a substrate (e.g., awafer). In the present embodiment, the mask data preparation 132 andmask fabrication 144 are illustrated as separate elements. However, themask data preparation 132 and mask fabrication 144 can be collectivelyreferred to as mask data preparation.

In the present embodiment, the mask data preparation 132 includes adummy mandrel insertion operation, which inserts dummy line patterns inthe space 108 (FIG. 4) so as to improve pattern density and to reducethe area needed by the space 108. This will be described in detailslater. Further in the present embodiment, the mask data preparation 132prepares a mandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout to be used ina spacer double patterning process. The mandrel pattern layout defines amandrel pattern in a first exposure and the cut pattern layout defines acut pattern in a second exposure. The cut pattern removes unwantedportions of the mandrel pattern, a derivative, or both. The finalpattern includes the mandrel pattern plus the derivative but not the cutpattern.

The mask data preparation 132 may further include optical proximitycorrection (OPC) which uses lithography enhancement techniques tocompensate for image errors, such as those that can arise fromdiffraction, interference, or other process effects. The mask datapreparation 132 may further include a mask rule checker (MRC) thatchecks the IC design layout with a set of mask creation rules which maycontain certain geometric and connectivity restrictions to ensuresufficient margins, to account for variability in semiconductormanufacturing processes, etc. The mask data preparation 132 may furtherinclude lithography process checking (LPC) that simulates processingthat will be implemented by the IC manufacturer 160 to fabricate the ICdevice 162. The processing parameters may include parameters associatedwith various processes of the IC manufacturing cycle, parametersassociated with tools used for manufacturing the IC, and/or otheraspects of the manufacturing process.

It should be understood that the above description of the mask datapreparation 132 has been simplified for the purposes of clarity, anddata preparation may include additional features such as a logicoperation (LOP) to modify the IC design layout according tomanufacturing rules. Additionally, the processes applied to the ICdesign layout 102 during data preparation 132 may be executed in avariety of different orders.

After mask data preparation 132 and during mask fabrication 144, a maskor a group of masks are fabricated based on the modified IC designlayout. For example, an electron-beam (e-beam) or a mechanism ofmultiple e-beams is used to form a pattern on a mask (photomask orreticle) based on the modified IC design layout. The mask can be formedin various technologies such as a transmissive mask or a reflectivemask. In an embodiment, the mask is formed using binary technology,where a mask pattern includes opaque regions and transparent regions. Aradiation beam, such as an ultraviolet (UV) beam, used to expose theimage sensitive material layer (e.g., photoresist) coated on a wafer, isblocked by the opaque region and transmits through the transparentregions. In one example, a binary mask includes a transparent substrate(e.g., fused quartz) and an opaque material (e.g., chromium) coated inthe opaque regions of the mask. In another example, the mask is formedusing a phase shift technology. In the phase shift mask (PSM), variousfeatures in the pattern formed on the mask are configured to have properphase difference to enhance the resolution and imaging quality. Invarious examples, the phase shift mask can be attenuated PSM oralternating PSM.

The IC manufacturer 160, such as a semiconductor foundry, uses the mask(or masks) fabricated by the mask house 140 to fabricate the IC device162. The IC manufacturer 160 is an IC fabrication business that caninclude a myriad of manufacturing facilities for the fabrication of avariety of different IC products. For example, there may be amanufacturing facility for the front end fabrication of a plurality ofIC products (i.e., front-end-of-line (FEOL) fabrication), while a secondmanufacturing facility may provide the back end fabrication for theinterconnection and packaging of the IC products (i.e., back-end-of-line(BEOL) fabrication), and a third manufacturing facility may provideother services for the foundry business. In the present embodiment, asemiconductor wafer 152 is fabricated using the mask (or masks) to formthe IC device 162. The semiconductor wafer 152 includes a siliconsubstrate or other proper substrate having material layers formedthereon. Other proper substrate materials include another suitableelementary semiconductor, such as diamond or germanium; a suitablecompound semiconductor, such as silicon carbide, indium arsenide, orindium phosphide; or a suitable alloy semiconductor, such as silicongermanium carbide, gallium arsenic phosphide, or gallium indiumphosphide. The semiconductor wafer may further include various dopedregions, dielectric features, and multilevel interconnects (formed atsubsequent manufacturing steps). The mask may be used in a variety ofprocesses. For example, the mask may be used in an ion implantationprocess to form various doped regions in the semiconductor wafer, in anetching process to form various etching regions in the semiconductorwafer, and/or other suitable processes.

FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram of the mask house 140 shown inFIG. 1 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In theillustrated embodiment, the mask house 140 includes a mask design system180 that is tailored to perform the functionality described inassociation with mask data preparation 132 of FIG. 1. The mask designsystem 180 is an information handling system such as a computer, server,workstation, or other suitable device. The system 180 includes aprocessor 182 that is communicatively coupled to a system memory 184, amass storage device 186, and a communication module 188. The systemmemory 184 provides the processor 182 with non-transitory,computer-readable storage to facilitate execution of computerinstructions by the processor. Examples of system memory may includerandom access memory (RAM) devices such as dynamic RAM (DRAM),synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), solid state memory devices, and/or a varietyof other memory devices known in the art. Computer programs,instructions, and data are stored on the mass storage device 186.Examples of mass storage devices may include hard drives, opticaldrives, magneto-optical drives, solid-state storage devices, and/or avariety other mass storage devices known in the art. The communicationmodule 188 is operable to communicate information such as IC designlayout files with the other components in the IC manufacturing system100, such as the design house 120. Examples of communication modules mayinclude Ethernet cards, 802.11 WiFi devices, cellular data radios,and/or other suitable devices.

In operation, the mask design system 180 is configured to manipulate theIC design layout 102 before it is transferred to a mask 190 by the maskfabrication 134. In an embodiment, the mask data preparation 132 isimplemented as software instructions executing on the mask design system180. To further this embodiment, the mask design system 180 receives afirst GDSII file 192 containing the IC design layout 102 from the designhouse 120, and modifies the IC design layout 102, for example, to insertdummy patterns and to perform other manufacturability enhancement. Afterthe mask data preparation 132 is complete, the mask design system 180transmits a second GDSII file 194 containing a modified IC design layoutto the mask fabrication 134. In alternative embodiments, the IC designlayout may be transmitted between the components in IC manufacturingsystem 100 in alternate file formats such as DFII, CIF, OASIS, or anyother suitable file type. Further, the mask design system 180 and themask house 140 may include additional and/or different components inalternative embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a high-level flowchart of a method 300 of manufacturing an ICaccording to various aspects of the present disclosure. In a briefoverview, the method 300 includes operations 302, 304, 306, 308, and310. The operation 302 receives an IC design layout having multiplelayout blocks separated by spaces. The operation 304 modifies the ICdesign layout by inserting dummy patterns to the spaces. The operation306 outputs a mandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout for maskfabrication. The operation 308 fabricates a first mask with the mandrelpattern layout and a second mask with the cut pattern layout. Theoperation 310 patterns a substrate with the first mask and the secondmask, for example, using a spacer patterning technique. The method 300may be implemented in the various components of the IC manufacturingsystem 100. For example, the operations 302, 304, and 306 may beimplemented in the mask data preparation 132 of the mask house 140; theoperation 308 may be implemented in the mask fabrication 134 of the maskhouse 140; and the operation 310 may be implemented in the ICmanufacturer 160. The method 300 is merely an example for illustratingvarious aspects of the provided subject matter. Additional operationscan be provided before, during, and after the method 300, and someoperations described can be replaced, eliminated, or moved around foradditional embodiments of the method. The method 300 in FIG. 3 is ahigh-level overview and details associated with each operation thereinwill be described in association with the subsequent figures in thepresent disclosure.

At operation 302, the method 300 (FIG. 3) receives the IC design layout102 as shown in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the IC design layout 102includes various geometrical patterns for creating features of an IC. Inthe present embodiment, the IC design layout 102 includes the two layoutblocks 104 and 106. Each of the layout blocks 104 and 106 is arectangular region and includes patterns conforming to some restricteddesign rules. Particularly, the layout block 104 includes the linepatterns 110 having the line width W₁ and the pattern pitch P₁, and thelayout block 106 includes the line patterns 112 having the line width W₂and the pattern pitch P₂. The pattern pitches P₁ and P₂ are definedusing edge-to-edge distance in the present embodiment. They may also bedefined using center-line-to-center-line distance in alternativeembodiments. The line patterns 110 and 112 are oriented lengthwise alongthe same direction (along the X direction), but the line widths W₁ andW₂ may be the same or different, and the pattern pitches P₁ and P₂ maybe the same or different. In the present example, P₁ is greater than P₂and W₁ is greater than W₂. The layout blocks 104 and 106 are separatefor various reasons. For example, they may include different designmacros or different types of circuit elements (e.g., logic circuits andSRAM cells). For another example, they may be designed to have differentline widths and pitches so as to avoid accidental linking between thetwo blocks. Further, the layout blocks 104 and 106 are shown inrectangular regions for the purpose of simplification and they may be inother shapes or other polygons in various embodiments.

In embodiments, the line patterns 110 and 112 may be used for creatingIC features such as active regions, source and drain features, gateelectrodes, metal lines or vias, and openings for bonding pads. In thepresent embodiment, the line patterns 110 and 112 define mandrelpatterns, upon whose sidewalls a spacer will be formed and the spacerwill be used for etching a substrate to form fins for fin field effecttransistors (FinFETs). This will be described in greater details later.

The layout blocks 104 and 106 are separated by the space 108. In thepresent embodiment, the space 108 is also of a rectangular shape forsimplification purposes. Further, in the present embodiment, the space108 corresponds to a cut pattern 116, as shown in FIG. 5. The cutpattern 116 is used for removing features from a substrate. In a typicaldesign, the space 108 is needed for meeting various manufacturing rules.For example, a manufacturing rule may set a minimum distance between oneline end to another line end, such as between the ends of the linepatterns 110 and the adjacent ends of the line patterns 112. If the ICdesign layout 102 violates the manufacturing rule, a design rule checker(DRC) will flag a warning or an error so that the IC design layout maybe modified or corrected before proceeding to the next fabrication stage(e.g., the mask fabrication 134 of FIG. 1). For another example, whenmandrel lines are formed on a substrate according to the line patterns110 and 112 and spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the mandrellines, a manufacturing rule may require that the spacers in the twoseparate layout blocks 104 and 106 do not come into contact with eachother. For yet another example, due to the limitations of theconventional optical lithography technology, the ends of the linepatterns 110 and 112 may become rounded after being printed on a waferand the rounded ends may extend into the space 108. A manufacturing rulemay therefore require enough spacing between the line ends to accountfor the lithography inaccuracy.

Due to the various concerns and other factors, the space 108 and thecorresponding cut pattern 116 may be necessary for meetingmanufacturability requirements in some instances. However, theytypically take up large areas on a wafer. In one example, the width ofthe cut pattern 116 (along the X direction) is about 200 nanometers (nm)to about 300 nm in a 16 nm process node. This constitutes an added costfor the final IC devices 162. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce thespace 108 thereby improving design density and reducing manufacturingcosts. The provided subject matter addresses this issue, among others.

At operation 304, the method 300 (FIG. 3) adds dummy mandrel patterns tothe space 108 thereby connecting some of the line patterns 110 and someof the line patterns 112. Referring to FIG. 6A, shown therein is the ICdesign layout 102 with three dummy mandrel patterns 114A-C inserted.Note that the number of the dummy mandrel patterns 114, as well as theirshape, width, and orientation, as shown in FIG. 6A, are only forillustrative purposes and do not limit the provided subject matter. Inembodiments, one line pattern 110 may be connected to one or more linepatterns 112 by one or more dummy mandrel pattern 114, and vice versa.In addition, not all line patterns 110 and 112 are connected by a dummymandrel pattern. In the particular example shown in FIG. 6A, linepattern 110A is connected to two line patterns 112A and 112B through twodummy mandrel patterns 114A and 114B respectively; line pattern 110B isconnected to line pattern 112C through dummy mandrel pattern 114C; andline patterns 110C and 112D are not connected by any dummy mandrelpatterns. Further in the present embodiment, the dummy mandrel patterns114A-C are linear pieces having about the same width as the linepatterns 112, and are each oriented lengthwise along a direction thatmay be the same as or different from the X direction. For example, thedummy mandrel pattern 114C is oriented lengthwise in a direction U thatforms an intersecting angle Θ with the direction X. In an embodiment,the angle Θ is limited to 45 degrees or less, such as 30 degrees orless, for manufacturability concerns. In another embodiment, the angle Θmay be limited to another range of values depending on the manufacturingprocess.

The purposes and benefits of inserting the dummy mandrel patterns 114are many folds and the following are not intended to be limiting. First,after connecting line patterns between two adjacent layout blocks, thereis no longer a concern for violating rules about minimum gap betweenline ends for the connected line patterns within the space 108. Second,there is no longer a concern for line end rounding issues for theconnected line patterns within the space 108. Third, when spacers arelater formed in the layout blocks 104 and 106, there is no long aconcern for keeping the spacers separate in the space 108 because theconnected line patterns (e.g., line patterns 110B and 112C) have becomea continuous piece. These three aspects help reduce the size of thespace 108. In another word, the layout blocks 104 and 106 may be placedcloser to each other than in conventional design flow without violatingmanufacturing rules. In one example, the width of the cut pattern 116(FIG. 5) may be reduced to about 100 nm or less in a 16 nm process nodewith the insertion of dummy mandrel patterns as provided in the presentdisclosure.

There are additional benefits. For example, with the addition of thedummy mandrel patterns, spacer pattern density increases in the space108. This helps improve the shape and critical dimension of fins thatare etched with the spacer. For example, the dummy mandrel patternsincrease pattern density of the IC 102 and improve chemical mechanicalplanarization (CMP) loading effect during IC fabrication.

In embodiments, a user may define criteria for where to insert the dummymandrel patterns 114 and what shape, size, and orientation each dummymandrel pattern 114 may take. FIGS. 6B-6E illustrate some non-limitingexamples. Referring to FIG. 6B, a line pattern 110 is connected to threeline patterns 112 by three dummy mandrel patterns 114A, 114B, and 114C.The three dummy mandrel patterns are linear pieces that are orientedlengthwise along different directions. Particularly, the dummy mandrelpattern 114B is oriented lengthwise along the X direction, the dummymandrel pattern 114A is oriented lengthwise along a direction U1 that isdifferent from the X direction, and the dummy mandrel pattern 114C isoriented lengthwise along a direction U2 that is different from both theU1 and the X directions. Referring to FIG. 6C, the line pattern 110 isconnected to two line patterns 112A and 112C that are not adjacent. Insome instances, line end rounding of a narrow mandrel (such as the linepattern 112B) may be well controlled and therefore it is not necessaryto connect every narrow mandrel using dummy mandrel patterns. Referringto FIG. 6D, the dummy mandrel pattern 114 shown therein is not a linearpiece. Instead, it has three linear sections, 114-1, 114-2, and 114-3.For example, section 114-1 may be made by extending the line pattern 110into the space 108, section 114-3 may be made by extending the linepattern 112 into the space 108, and section 114-2 connects the sections114-1 and 114-3. The lengths of the sections 114-1 and 114-3 may beadjusted so that the section 114-2 is oriented lengthwise in aparticular direction. This may be advantageous in providing more uniformpatterns in the IC design layout 102. Various other embodiments of thedummy mandrel patterns are within the scope of the present disclosure.The IC design layout 102 in FIG. 6E is similar to that in FIG. 6D.

At operation 306, the method 300 (FIG. 3) outputs layout data for maskfabrication. In an embodiment, the layout data includes a mandrelpattern layout and a cut pattern layout. In the present embodiment, themandrel pattern layout includes the line patterns received in operation302 as well as the dummy mandrel patterns inserted in operation 304; andthe cut pattern layout includes one or more patterns corresponding tothe space between layout blocks. One example of the mandrel patternlayout and the cut pattern layout is shown in FIG. 6E. Referring to FIG.6E, the mandrel pattern layout for the IC design 102 includes the linepattern(s) 110 in the layout block 104, the line pattern(s) 112 in thelayout block 106, and the dummy mandrel pattern(s) 114A and 114Binserted in the space 108. The cut pattern layout for the IC design 102includes a cut pattern 116 corresponding to the space 108. In thepresent embodiment, the cut pattern layout of the IC design 102 furtherincludes one or more cut patterns 118 which will remove spacers formedat the ends of the line patterns 110 and 112. Further, each of themandrel pattern layout and the cut pattern layout may also includecertain assist features, such as those features for imaging effect,processing enhancement, and/or mask identification information. Inembodiments, operation 306 outputs the mandrel pattern layout and thecut pattern layout in a computer-readable format for subsequentfabrication stage. For example, the layouts may be outputted in GDSII,DFII, CIF, OASIS, or any other suitable file format.

At operation 308, the method 300 (FIG. 3) manufactures a first mask withthe mandrel pattern layout and manufactures a second mask with the cutpattern layout. Operation 308 may manufacture other masks for variouslayers and features of the IC 162. In embodiments, the first mask andthe second mask may be transmissive masks (e.g., for DUV lithography) orreflective masks (e.g., for EUV lithography), and may include imagingenhancement features such as phase shifting. In embodiments wheremaskless lithography, such as e-beam direct writing, is used, operation308 is bypassed or involves data preparation for the particular directwriter without fabricating an actual mask.

At operation 310, the method 300 (FIG. 3) patterns a substrate (such asa wafer) with the first mask and the second mask to fabricate the finalIC device 162. The operation 310 involves a variety of lithographypatterning and etching steps. An embodiment of the operation 310 (alsoreferred to as the method 310) is illustrated in FIG. 7, which uses aspacer technique in forming FinFETs. In various embodiments, operation310 may pattern a substrate with or without using a spacer technique.The method 310 is merely an example for illustrating various aspects ofthe provided subject matter. Additional operations can be providedbefore, during, and after the method 310, and some operations describedcan be replaced, eliminated, or moved around for additional embodimentsof the method. The various operations in FIG. 7 are discussed below inconjunction with FIGS. 8-14C.

At operation 352, the method 310 (FIG. 7) deposits dielectric layers 804and 806 over a substrate 802 (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) as shown inFIG. 8. The substrate 802 includes silicon in the present embodiment. Invarious embodiments, the substrate 802 may include another elementarysemiconductor, such as germanium; a compound semiconductor, such assilicon carbide, indium arsenide, or indium phosphide; or an alloysemiconductor, such as silicon germanium carbide, gallium arsenicphosphide, or gallium indium phosphide. Materials suitable for thedielectric layers 804 and 806 include, but not limited to, siliconoxide, silicon nitride, poly-silicon, Si₃N₄, SiON, TEOS,nitrogen-containing oxide, nitride oxide, high-k materials, orcombinations thereof. The dielectric layers 804 and 806 are each formedby one or more deposition techniques, such as thermal oxidation,chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and physical vapor deposition (PVD).

At operation 354, the method 310 (FIG. 7) forms mandrel patterns in thedielectric layer 806. Refer to FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C collectively, whichillustrate a portion of the IC device 162. Particularly, FIG. 9A shows atop view of the device 162 which includes a first region correspondingto the layout block 104 (FIG. 6E) and a second region corresponding tothe layout block 106 (FIG. 6E). The device 162 further includes a thirdregion sandwiched between the first and second regions. The third regioncorresponds to the space 108 of FIG. 6E. For the convenience ofdiscussion, the first region is also referred to as the region 104, thesecond region is also referred to as the region 106, and the thirdregion is also referred to as the region 108.

The device 162 is patterned to have a mandrel pattern 806′ (a patterneddielectric layer 806). The mandrel pattern 806′ includes multiplesections 806A-E connected together: section 806A corresponds to the linepattern 110A in the layout block 104 (FIG. 6E), sections 806B and 806Dcorrespond to the dummy mandrel patterns 114A and 114B (FIG. 6E)respectively, and sections 806C and 806E correspond to the line patterns112A and 112B (FIG. 6E) respectively. The sections 806A, 806C, and 806Eare oriented lengthwise along the X direction, while the sections 806Band 806D are each oriented lengthwise along a respective directiondifferent from the X direction. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of thedevice 162 along the 1-1 line of FIG. 9A. In the present example, the1-1 line goes through the center lines of the sections 860B and 806C.Therefore it is not a straight line. FIG. 9C shows cross-sectional viewsof the device 162 along the 2A-2A, 2B-2B, and 2C-2C lines of FIG. 9A.The mandrel pattern 806′ is a protruding feature (also known as a linepattern) in the present embodiment. In an alternative embodiment, themandrel pattern 806′ may be a trench feature.

The mandrel pattern 806′ is formed by patterning the dielectric layer806 with a procedure including a lithography process and an etchingprocess. For example, a photoresist (or resist) layer is formed on thedielectric layer 806 using a spin-coating process and soft bakingprocess. Then, the photoresist layer is exposed to a radiation using thefirst mask manufactured in the operation 308 (FIG. 3). The exposedphotoresist layer is developed using post-exposure baking, developing,and hard baking thereby forming a patterned photoresist layer over thedielectric layer 806. Subsequently, the dielectric layer 806 is etchedthrough the openings of the patterned photoresist layer, forming themandrel pattern 806′. The etching process may include a dry (or plasma)etching, a wet etching, or other suitable etching methods. The patternedphotoresist layer is removed thereafter using a suitable process, suchas wet stripping or plasma ashing. During the above photolithographyprocess, the density and regularity of the mandrel patterns (110, 112,and 114) help improve pattern critical dimension uniformity in view ofoptical proximity effect.

At operation 356, the method 310 (FIG. 7) forms a spacer 808. Refer toFIG. 10A (a top view of the device 162), FIG. 10B (a cross-sectionalview of the device 162 along the 1-1 line of FIG. 10A), and FIG. 10C(cross-sectional views of the device 162 along the 2A-2A, 2B-2B, and2C-2C lines of FIG. 10A). The spacer 808 is formed on sidewalls of themandrel pattern 806′ and completely surrounds the mandrel pattern 806′.In an embodiment, the spacer 808 has a substantially uniform thickness.The spacer 808 includes one or more material different from the mandrelpattern 806′. In an embodiment, the spacer 808 may include a dielectricmaterial, such as titanium nitride, silicon nitride, or titanium oxide.The spacer 808 can be formed by various processes, including adeposition process and an etching process. For example, the depositionprocess may include a CVD process or a PVD process. For example, theetching process may include an anisotropic etch such as plasma etch. Inan embodiment of the method 310, the operation 356 is bypassed and themandrel pattern 806′ is used for etching the substrate without formingthe spacer 808.

At operation 358, the method 310 (FIG. 7) removes the mandrel pattern806′ and leaves the spacer 808 standing over the dielectric layer 804.Refer to FIG. 11A (a top view of the device 162), FIG. 11B (across-sectional view of the device 162 along the 3-3 line of FIG. 11A),and FIG. 11C (cross-sectional views of the device 162 along the 2A-2A,2B-2B, and 2C-2C lines of FIG. 11A). The line 3-3 is the line 1-1shifted from the mandrel pattern 806′ to the spacer 808. The spacer 808remains over the dielectric layer 804 after the mandrel pattern 806′ hasbeen removed, e.g., by an etching process selectively tuned to removethe dielectric material 806 but not the spacer material. The etchingprocess can be a wet etching, a dry etching, or a combination thereof.

At operation 360, the method 310 (FIG. 7) etches the substrate 802 toform a continuous fin line 810 in the substrate 802. Refer to FIG. 12A(a top view of the device 162), FIG. 12B (a cross-sectional view of thedevice 162 along the 3-3 line of FIG. 12A), and FIG. 12C(cross-sectional views of the device 162 along the 2A-2A, 2B-2B, and2C-2C lines of FIG. 12A). The fin line 810 includes multiple sectionsconnected to form a continuous piece. For example, the fin line 810includes a section 810A in the region 104, a section 810B in the region108, a section 810C in the region 106, as well as other sections. Toform the fin line 810, the substrate 802 is etched with the spacer 808as an etch mask. The spacer 808 and the dielectric layer 804 aresubsequently removed. The etching process can be a wet etching, a dryetching, or a combination thereof.

At operation 362, the method 310 (FIG. 7) performs a fin cut processwith the second mask manufactured in the operation 308 (FIG. 3). In thepresent embodiment, the second mask includes a pattern corresponding tothe space 108 such as the pattern 116 of FIG. 6E. The second mask mayfurther include one or more patterns for cutting fin ends, such as thepatterns 118 of FIG. 6E, and one or more patterns for removing dummyfins. Refer to FIG. 13A (a top view of the device 162), FIG. 13B (across-sectional view of the device 162 along the 3-3 line of FIG. 13A),and FIG. 13C (cross-sectional views of the device 162 along the 2A-2A,2B-2B, and 2C-2C lines of FIG. 13A). Two fins, 810A and 810D, are formedin the region 104. Four fins, 810C, 810F, 810G, and 810H, are formed inthe region 106. The portions of the fin line 810 covered by the cutpatterns (cut regions) are substantially removed. However, as shown inFIGS. 13B and 13C, small portions of the fin line 810 in the cut regionsmay remain because fin etching process typically does not completelyetch to the bottom of the fin line 810 to avoid over-etching of thesubstrate 802. The small residual portions of the fin line 810 arereferred to as fin stubs in the following discussion because they aremuch shorter (along the Z direction) than the regular fins (e.g., 810A).For example, the fin sections 810B and 810E have become fin stubs 810Band 810E after the fin cut process. With reference to FIG. 13A, the fins810A, 810C, 810D, 810F, 810G, and 810H are oriented lengthwise in the Xdirection; the fin stub 810B is oriented lengthwise in a first directiondifferent from the X direction; and the fin stub 810E is orientedlengthwise in a second direction different from both the first directionand the X direction. The fin stub 810B connects a bottom portion of thefins 810A and 810C. The fin stub 810E connects a bottom portion of thefins 810D and 810F. There are other fin stubs shown in FIG. 13A, thoughnot labeled. In an embodiment, the operation 362 may also remove dummyfins, i.e. fins that are not used for forming transistors. For example,the second mask may include a cut pattern that removes the fin 810G.

In the present embodiment, the fin cut process includes a lithographyprocess and an etching process. For example, a photoresist layer isformed on the silicon substrate using a spin-coating process and softbaking process. Then, the photoresist layer is exposed to a radiationusing the second mask manufactured in the operation 308. The exposedphotoresist layer is subsequently developed and stripped thereby forminga patterned photoresist layer. The fin line 810 is partially protectedby the patterned photoresist layer. Subsequently, the fin line 810 isetched through the openings of the patterned photoresist layer. Thepatterned photoresist layer is removed thereafter using a suitableprocess, such as wet stripping or plasma ashing.

At operation 364, the method 310 (FIG. 7) forms an isolation feature 812over the substrate 802. Refer to FIG. 14A (a top view of the device162), FIG. 14B (a cross-sectional view of the device 162 along the 3-3line of FIG. 14A), and FIG. 14C (cross-sectional views of the device 162along the 2A-2A, 2B-2B, and 2C-2C lines of FIG. 14A). The isolationfeature 812 electrically isolate the various fins, including the fins810A and 810C. Furthermore, the various fin stubs, including the finstub 810B, are buried underneath the isolation feature 812. In anembodiment, operation 364 forms the isolation feature 812 by depositinga dielectric material such as silicon oxide over the substrate 802 andthen etches back the dielectric material. In the present embodiment,portions of the fins 810 extending above the isolation feature 812provide source, drain, and channel regions for FinFETs. For example, thefins 810A, 810C, 810D, and 810H partially extend above the isolationfeature 812 and each provide source, drain, and channel region for oneor more FinFETs.

At operation 366, the method 310 (FIG. 7) performs further processes tocomplete the fabrication of the final IC device 162. For example, theoperation 366 may form source and drain regions in the fins (e.g., 810Aand 810C) using ion implantation, epitaxial growth, and/or othersuitable methods. For example, the operation 366 may form gate stacksover the fins (e.g., 810A and 810C) using a gate-first process or agate-last process. Other processes include forming source and draincontacts, forming gate contacts, and forming via and metalinterconnects, and so on.

Although not intended to be limiting, the present disclosure providesmany benefits to the manufacturing of an IC. For example, by connectingmandrel patterns in different layout blocks with dummy mandrel patterns,embodiments of the present disclosure reduce the space between thedifferent layout blocks. This increases pattern density and reducesmaterial costs per IC device. This also increases pattern density forimproving fin uniformity, fin critical dimension, and CMP loading effectduring various stages of fin etching processes. Further, embodiments ofthe present disclosure provide flexible schemes for inserting the dummymandrel patterns, which may be tuned for specific process needs.

In one exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method.The method includes receiving an integrated circuit design layout thatincludes first and second layout blocks separated by a first space. Thefirst and second layout blocks include, respectively, first and secondline patterns oriented lengthwise in a first direction. The methodfurther includes adding a dummy pattern to the first space, whichconnects the first and second line patterns. The method further includesoutputting a mandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout in acomputer-readable format. The mandrel pattern layout includes the firstand second line patterns and the dummy pattern. The cut pattern layoutincludes a pattern corresponding to the first space. In embodiments, themethod further includes manufacturing a first mask with the mandrelpattern layout and manufacturing a second mask with the cut patternlayout.

In embodiments, the method further includes patterning a substrate withthe first mask and the second mask. To further this embodiment, themethod includes performing a first patterning process to a substratewith the first mask, thereby forming one or more features on thesubstrate, and performing a second patterning process to the substratewith the second mask, thereby removing a first portion of the one ormore features, wherein the first portion lies in a region correspondingto the first space in the IC design layout.

In another exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to amethod. The method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) designlayout. The IC design layout includes a first layout block and a secondlayout block. The first layout block includes a first plurality of linepatterns that are oriented lengthwise in a first direction and spacedfrom each other with a first pitch along a second direction that isorthogonal to the first direction. The second layout block includes asecond plurality of line patterns that are oriented lengthwise in thefirst direction and spaced from each other with a second pitch along thesecond direction, and the first and second layout blocks are separatedby a first space. The method further includes adding a dummy pattern tothe first space, wherein the dummy pattern connects one of the firstplurality and one of the second plurality. The method further includesoutputting a mandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout in acomputer-readable format. The mandrel pattern layout includes the firstand second pluralities and the dummy pattern. The cut pattern layoutincludes a pattern corresponding to the first space.

In an embodiment, the method further includes adding another dummypattern to the first space that connects the one of the first pluralityand another one of the second plurality. In a further embodiment, theone of the second plurality is adjacent to the other one of the secondplurality.

In some embodiments, the first pitch is different from the second pitch.In some embodiments, each of the first plurality has a first line width,each of the second plurality has a second line width, and the first andsecond line widths are different.

In another exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to asemiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first fin on asubstrate, wherein the first fin provides source, drain, and channelregions for a first field effect transistor (FET). The semiconductordevice further includes a second fin on the substrate, wherein thesecond fin provides source, drain, and channel regions for a second FET.The semiconductor device further includes a first fin stub on thesubstrate, wherein the first fin stub connects a bottom portion of thefirst fin and a bottom portion of the second fin. The semiconductordevice further includes an isolation feature over the first fin stub andbetween the first and second fins. From a top view, the first and secondfins are oriented lengthwise in a first direction, and the first finstub is oriented lengthwise in a second direction that is different fromthe first direction. In embodiments, the first fin lies completely in afirst rectangular region, the second fin lies completely in a secondrectangular region, and the first and second rectangular regions arearranged side by side along the first direction.

In an embodiment, the semiconductor device further includes a third fin,a fourth fin, and a second fin stub. The third fin provides source,drain, and channel regions for a third FET. The fourth fin providessource, drain, and channel regions for a fourth FET. The second fin stubconnects a bottom portion of the third fin and a bottom portion of thefourth fin. From a top view, the third and fourth fins are orientedlengthwise in the first direction, and the second fin stub is orientedlengthwise in a third direction that is different from the first andsecond directions. In a further embodiment, the third fin liescompletely in the first rectangular region, and the fourth fin liescompletely in the second rectangular region.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thosehaving ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects ofthe present disclosure. Those having ordinary skill in the art shouldappreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basisfor designing or modifying other processes and structures for carryingout the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of theembodiments introduced herein. Those having ordinary skill in the artshould also realize that such equivalent constructions do not departfrom the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they maymake various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving an integratedcircuit (IC) design layout, wherein the IC design layout includes afirst layout block and a second layout block, the first layout blockincludes a first line pattern oriented lengthwise in a first direction,the second layout block includes a second line pattern orientedlengthwise in the first direction, and the first and second layoutblocks are separated by a first space, wherein the first and second linepatterns are physically separate from each other; adding a dummy patternto the first space so that the first and second line patterns becomephysically connected through the dummy pattern, wherein the dummypattern is designed to be transferred onto a wafer; outputting a mandrelpattern layout and a cut pattern layout in a computer-readable format,wherein the mandrel pattern layout includes the first and second linepatterns and the dummy pattern, and wherein the cut pattern layoutincludes a pattern corresponding to the first space; manufacturing afirst mask with the mandrel pattern layout; and manufacturing a secondmask with the cut pattern layout.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: performing a first patterning process to a substrate withthe first mask, thereby forming one or more features on the substrate;and performing a second patterning process to the substrate with thesecond mask, thereby removing a first portion of the one or morefeatures, wherein the first portion lies in a region corresponding tothe first space in the IC design layout.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the first patterning process includes: forming a first materiallayer over the substrate; forming a resist layer over the first materiallayer; patterning the resist layer; etching the first material layerusing the patterned resist layer as an etch mask, thereby forming afirst pattern in the first material layer, wherein the first patterncorresponds to the first line pattern, the second line pattern, and thedummy pattern; and thereafter removing the patterned resist layer. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein the first patterning process furtherincludes: forming spacers on sidewalls of the first pattern; removingthe first pattern; and etching the substrate with the spacers as an etchmask.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second linepatterns have different line widths.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein aportion of the dummy pattern is oriented lengthwise in a seconddirection that intersects the first direction with an angle not morethan 45 degrees.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein: the first layoutblock includes a first plurality of line patterns, one of which is thefirst line pattern; the second layout block includes a second pluralityof line patterns, one of which is the second line pattern; the firstplurality are oriented lengthwise in the first direction, spaced fromeach other with a first pitch and along a second direction that isorthogonal to the first direction; the second plurality are orientedlengthwise in the first direction, spaced from each other with a secondpitch and along the second direction; and the first and second pitchesare different.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the firstplurality has a first line width, each of the second plurality has asecond line width, and the first and second line widths are different.9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second layout block furtherincludes a third line pattern that is oriented lengthwise in the firstdirection and is spaced from the second line pattern, furthercomprising: adding a second dummy pattern in the first space, whereinthe second dummy pattern connects the first and third line patterns. 10.A method, comprising: receiving an integrated circuit (IC) designlayout, wherein the IC design layout includes a first layout block and asecond layout block, the first layout block includes a first pluralityof line patterns that are oriented lengthwise in a first direction andspaced from each other with a first pitch along a second direction thatis orthogonal to the first direction, the second layout block includes asecond plurality of line patterns that are oriented lengthwise in thefirst direction and spaced from each other with a second pitch along thesecond direction, and the first and second layout blocks are separatedby a first space, wherein the first plurality of line patterns arephysically separate from the second plurality of line patterns; adding adummy pattern to the first space, wherein the dummy pattern physicallyconnects one of the first plurality and one of the second plurality,wherein the dummy pattern is designed to be transferred onto a wafer;outputting a mandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout in acomputer-readable format, wherein the mandrel pattern layout includesthe first and second pluralities and the dummy pattern, and wherein thecut pattern layout includes a pattern corresponding to the first space;manufacturing a first mask with the mandrel pattern layout; andmanufacturing a second mask with the cut pattern layout.
 11. The methodof claim 10, further comprising: adding another dummy pattern to thefirst space that connects the one of the first plurality and another oneof the second plurality.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one ofthe second plurality is adjacent to the other one of the secondplurality.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the firstplurality has a first line width, each of the second plurality has asecond line width, and the first and second line widths are different.14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first pitch is different fromthe second pitch.
 15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:performing a first patterning process to a substrate with the firstmask, thereby forming one or more features on the substrate; andperforming a second patterning process to the substrate with the secondmask, thereby removing a first portion of the one or more features,wherein the first portion lies in a region corresponding to the firstspace in the IC design layout.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein aportion of the dummy pattern is oriented lengthwise in a third directionthat intersects the first direction with an angle not more than 45degrees.
 17. A method, comprising: receiving an integrated circuit (IC)design layout, wherein the IC design layout includes two layout blocksseparated by a space, wherein each layout block includes a line patternoriented lengthwise in a first direction, and the two line patterns arephysically separate from each other; adding a dummy pattern to thespace, wherein the dummy pattern physically connects the two linepatterns of the two layout blocks, wherein a portion of the dummypattern is oriented lengthwise in a second direction that intersects thefirst direction with an angle not more than 45 degrees; outputting amandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout in a computer-readableformat, wherein the mandrel pattern layout includes the two linepatterns and the dummy pattern, and wherein the cut pattern layoutincludes a pattern corresponding to the space; manufacturing a firstmask with the mandrel pattern layout; and manufacturing a second maskwith the cut pattern layout.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the twoline patterns have different line widths.